Africa Great Lakes Democracy Watch

Welcome toAfrica Great Lakes Democracy Watch Blog.Our objective is to promote the institutions of democracy,social justice,Human Rights,Peace, Freedom ofExpression, and Respect to humanity in Rwanda,Uganda,DR Congo, Burundi,Sudan, Tanzania, Kenya,Ethiopia, and Somalia. We strongly believe that Africa will develop if only our presidents stop being rulers of men and become leaders of citizens. We support Breaking the Silence Campaign for DR Congo since we believe the democracy in Rwanda means peace inDRC. Follow this link to learn more about the origin of the war in both Rwanda and DR Congo:http://www.rwandadocumentsproject.net/gsdl/cgi-bin/library

Thursday, November 1, 2012

From INYENYERI NEWSRaissa
Ujeneza is a 23 year old studying international and European law in the
Netherlands. Her mother is Rwandan opposition leader Victoire Ingabire,
whom Rwanda’s high court sentenced Tuesday to eight years in prison for
treason and genocide denial. RNW visited Ujeneza at her home to hear
what she was thinking and feeling shortly after the verdict was
announced.
“She only went [to Rwanda] to bring peace and to reconcile the
Rwandan people. And anybody who would understand that would not fight
her and would definitely not put her eight years into prison,” says
Ujeneza.
Relative to the life sentence that her family had envisioned as a
worst-case scenario, the ruling may seem quite mild. But her daughter
feels little satisfaction.
“I am also disappointed because it is my mother who they are
sentencing [to] eight years while she is innocent,” she says. “It is not
just.”
The global gaze
According to Ujeneza, the international criticism that her mother’s
case drew spared Ingabire from receiving a life-long imprisonment.
“They are aware that the international community is watching them,” she says about Rwanda.
“The government has been criticized several times on different
aspects,” she explains, referring to accusations of Rwanda
“participating with the rebel group M23 in the Congo areas” and
“meddling” with the Ingabire case.
“Also, my mother’s case has been in the media on several occasions,”
she continues. “And the Rwandan government, in trying to show that they
are doing a [good] job and that they are acting [according to the]
law…they of course gave her eight year sentence instead of the required
life sentence…I think and I believe truly that they wanted to give her
life.”
Ujeneza’s life in the Netherlands comes in stark contrast to her
mother’s. Ujeneza lives in a colourfully decorated apartment in a small
Dutch village.
Ingabire left for Rwanda in 2010 to run against the country’s sitting President Paul Kagame. Ingabire was jailed. Kagame won.
“It’s been quite difficult and quite chaotic. It happened actually
that every time she would end up in prison in the beginning, before she
was arrested, I had an exam,” says Ujeneza when asked how she has coped
with her mother’s situation.
“I try to separate myself, having one side which focuses on school
and everything that is going on in my own life. And another side that is
focused on her trial and everything that comes along with it.”
But how does the young woman prevent herself from feeling split into two?
“You get used to it,” she says. “You get used to switching off a
button and do what you have to do and when you have to do it, and switch
it on when you have to focus on this area which is quite confronting my
emotions.”
Looking forward
Now that the verdict has been announced, Ingabire and her supporters are expected to bring the case to a higher court.
“We will not take this verdict for what it is. We know that the court
has favoured in the Rwandan government’s demands actually and we want
justice to be served,” says Ujeneza. “We will go to the Supreme Court
and, if necessary, we will also take this trial abroad outside the
Rwandan country,” she says, noting that the case could be appropriate
for the African Court on Human and People’s Rights.
Although she might not see her for years and admits to missing her very much, Ujeneza clearly wants her mother to persevere.
Still, one can’t help but wonder if on the day Ingabire is liberated,
whether her own family will want to keep her in close reign.
“I realize that my mother would probably not let herself [be] held
down,” says her daughter, with a laugh. “She is very determined and I
recognize that in my brothers and myself. Once we want something we
really go for it and we have that from her. She cannot be stopped and
she shouldn’t be stopped. Definitely not. She’s living out what she
believes: she believes that Rwanda can be healed again. And she should
be supported in that and she should not be stopped.”
Ujeneza confidently adds: “Not even by her own children.”